Apparatuses and methods for preventing disengagement of electrical connectors in the assembly of computers

ABSTRACT

Apparatuses and methods for preventing disengagement of electrical connectors in the assembly of computers. In one embodiment, a computer system includes a chassis, an electrical component contained within the chassis, an electrical connector engaged with a receptacle on the electrical component, and a retainer to prevent disengagement of the electrical connector from the receptacle. The retainer has a mounting portion that can attach to at least one of the electrical component or the computer chassis, and a connector interface adjacent to the electrical connector to prevent the connector from disengaging from the receptacle on the electrical component. In one aspect of this embodiment, the retainer is a one-piece retainer with a mounting portion that attaches to only one surface of the electrical component. In other embodiments, the retainer can be a two-piece retainer having a bracket and a movable retainer portion. The bracket can attach to two surfaces of the electrical component, and the movable retainer portion can be operatively coupled to the bracket so that it can be positioned adjacent to the connector to prevent the connector from disengaging from the receptacle. In either one-piece or two-piece form, the retainer can prevent disengagement of a center ribbon cable connector from a 3½-inch drive device.

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] This invention relates to apparatuses and methods for preventingdisengagement of electrical connectors, and more particularly toretainers for preventing disengagement of electrical connectors in theassembly of computers.

BACKGROUND

[0002] Computers and many other products have several electricalconnectors for operatively coupling internal and external components toone another. In a computer, for example, disk drives and CD-ROMs arecoupled to a motherboard using internal connectors, and external outputdevices (e.g., printers and displays) are coupled to the computer usingexternal connectors. The electronics industry typically usesstandardized connectors so that manufacturers can purchase standardconnectors from several different outside vendors.

[0003] Each computer generally has a plurality of different multiple-pinconnectors. Among the more popular multiple-pin connectors available forassembling computers are the D-type, rectangular connectors, and centerribbon cable connectors. Additionally, card-edge connectors having15-100 pins are also available to connect printed circuit boards tomotherboards or other devices. One concern of electrical connectors ismaintaining electrical contact between the electrical connectors and thereceptacles with which they are engaged. Several types of electricalconnectors rely on friction between the connector pins and matingsockets to hold the electrical connectors in the receptacles. Othertypes of electrical connectors have positive retention devices thatsecurely attach the electrical connectors to the receptacles.

[0004]FIGS. 1A and 1B are partial isometric views of two positiveretention devices that are commonly used to prevent a connector fromdisengaging a socket. FIG. 1A, more specifically, shows a D-typeconnector 110 with two thumbscrews 112 that thread into holes 113 in areceptacle 111. FIG. 1B shows a rectangular type connector 120 withwire-clip latches 122 that snap into slots 123 in a receptacle 121. Notshown in FIG. 1 is a common card-edge type connector used to attach aprinted circuit card to a motherboard. This type of connector iscommonly provided with lugs that can be soldered to the motherboard toprevent disengagement of the circuit card.

[0005] Not all electrical connectors, however, are provided withpositive retention devices. For example, electrical connectors forcenter ribbon cables that are used with drive devices (e.g., floppy diskor CD-ROM drives) typically do not have positive retention devices andrely only on pin friction to maintain engagement with the drive devices.A common problem encountered with this type of connector is thatvibrations during transport or handling can cause the connector todisengage from its receptacle. Disengagement can occur during shipmentfrom the point of assembly to the point of sale, or during typical useby the purchaser. This problem is especially acute with portable laptopcomputers.

[0006]FIG. 2 is a partial isometric view of a standard 68-pin IDE(integrated drive electronics) center ribbon cable connector 210 thatdoes not have one of the positive retention devices more commonly usedwith the D-type or rectangular type connectors shown in FIG. 1. Thecenter ribbon cable connector 210 mates with a 68-pin SCSI (smallcomputer systems interface) connector receptacle 211 to connect anultra-wide SCSI ribbon cable 215 to a 3½-inch drive device 230. Withouta positive retention device, the center ribbon cable connector 210 isprone to vibrate out of the 68-pin SCSI connector receptacle 211 duringshipment of a computer 200.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0007] The present invention is directed toward apparatuses and methodsfor preventing disengagement of electrical connectors in the assembly ofcomputers. In one embodiment, the apparatus is a computer system havinga chassis, an electrical component contained within the chassis, anelectrical connector engaged with a receptacle on the electricalcomponent, and a retainer to prevent disengagement of the electricalconnector. In this embodiment, the retainer has a mounting portion and aconnector interface. The mounting portion can be attached to at leastone of the electrical component or the computer chassis. The connectorinterface is adjacent to the electrical connector to prevent theconnector from disengaging from the receptacle on the electricalcomponent. The connector interface can contact the electrical connectorto press the connector into the receptacle on the electrical component,or the connector interface can be offset a selected distance to preventthe connector from disengaging from the electrical component. In oneaspect of this embodiment, the retainer can prevent a center ribboncable connector from disengaging a 3½-inch drive device. In otherembodiments, the retainer can prevent disengagement of other connectorsfrom other electrical components.

[0008] In another embodiment, an apparatus for retaining an electricalconnector in a drive device is a retainer having a mounting portiontoward a first end and a connector interface toward a second end. Themounting portion can have a substantially flat mounting surface with atleast one fastener aperture configured to attach to a housing of thedrive device. The connector interface can have a substantially rigid andsubstantially flat base portion adjacent to the electrical connectorwhen the mounting portion is attached to the drive device. In one aspectof this embodiment, the arrangement of the mounting portion and theconnector interface can give the retainer an “L-shape.” In otherembodiments, the retainer can take other forms. In another aspect ofthis embodiment, the connector interface can include two side portionsthat connect to the base portion to form a concave cross-section. Thisconcave cross-section is configured to cup the electrical connector toprevent the disengagement of the connector from the drive device.

[0009] In yet another embodiment, an apparatus for retaining anelectrical connector in a drive device is a two-piece retainer having abracket and a movable retainer portion. The bracket can have a firstside member, a second side member, and a center member extending betweenthe first and second side members. The side members of the bracketattach to a housing of the drive device. The moveable retainer portioncan be operatively coupled to the first and second side members of thebracket. In this embodiment, once the bracket is attached to the housingof the drive device, the electrical connector can be installed in thedrive device and the retainer portion can be positioned adjacent to theconnector to prevent the connector from disengaging from the drivedevice.

[0010] One method for preventing disengagement of an electricalconnector from a drive device in a computer includes securing a mountingportion of a retainer to a housing of the drive device or a chassis ofthe computer to position a connector interface of the retainer adjacentto the connector. In one aspect of this embodiment, securing themounting portion of the retainer to the housing of the drive device caninclude inserting a threaded fastener through a fastener aperture in themounting portion and threading the fastener into a selected threadedhole in the housing of the drive device. In other embodiments, themounting portion can be secured to the chassis of the computer and notto the drive device housing.

[0011] Another method for preventing disengagement of an electricalconnector from a receptacle on an electrical component includes using atwo-piece retainer having a bracket and a movable retainer portion. Inthis embodiment, the retainer bracket is attached to the electricalcomponent, and the electrical connector is installed into the receptacleon the electrical component. The movable retainer portion of theretainer is then positioned adjacent to an outwardly facing surface ofthe connector to prevent the connector from disengaging from theelectrical component. In one aspect of this embodiment, the method canbe used to prevent a center ribbon cable connector from disengaging froma 3½-inch drive device. In other embodiments, the method can be used toprevent disengagement of other connectors from other electricalcomponents.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0012]FIGS. 1A and 1B are partial isometric views of two positiveretention devices in accordance with the prior art.

[0013]FIG. 2 is a partial isometric view of a standard center ribboncable connector and receptacle in accordance with the prior art.

[0014]FIG. 3 is a partial schematic isometric view of a computer systemhaving a retainer to prevent disengagement of a connector from areceptacle in accordance with an embodiment of the invention.

[0015]FIG. 4 is a partial schematic isometric view of a computer systemhaving a retainer to prevent disengagement of a connector from areceptacle in accordance with another embodiment of the invention.

[0016]FIG. 5 is a partial cross-sectional view taken substantially alonglines 5-5 in FIG. 4 illustrating a connector interface and a connectorin accordance with one embodiment of the invention.

[0017]FIG. 6 is a partial schematic isometric view of a computer systemhaving a retainer that attaches to a computer chassis to preventdisengagement of a connector from a receptacle in accordance with yetanother embodiment of the invention.

[0018]FIG. 7 is a partial schematic isometric view of a computer systemhaving a two-piece retainer to prevent disengagement of a connector froma receptacle in accordance with an embodiment of the invention.

[0019]FIG. 8 is a partial side view taken substantially along lines 8-8in FIG. 7 illustrating the operation of the retainer to preventdisengagement of a connector from a receptacle in accordance withanother embodiment of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0020] The present disclosure describes apparatuses and methods forpreventing disengagement of electrical connectors for use in theassembly of computers. Many specific details of certain embodiments ofthe invention are set forth in the following description and in FIGS. 3through 6 to provide a thorough understanding of these embodiments. Oneskilled in the art, however, will understand that the present inventionmay have additional embodiments, or that the invention may be practicedwithout several of the details described below. In other instances,well-known structures associated with computers and other electricalcomponent assemblies, such as 3½-inch and 5¼-inch disk drive devices,have not been shown or described in detail to avoid unnecessarilyobscuring the description of the embodiments of the invention.

[0021]FIG. 3 is a partial schematic isometric view of a computer system300 having a retainer 350 configured to prevent disengagement of aconnector 310 from a receptacle 311 in accordance with an embodiment ofthe invention. The computer system 300 has a chassis 340 housing aprocessor 360 operatively coupled to a memory device 370 and aninput/output device 380. In other embodiments, the computer system 300can include other electrical components, or any one of the processor360, memory device 370, or input/output device 380 may be omitted.

[0022] The connector 310 engages the receptacle 311 to maintainelectrical continuity between a cable 315 and an electrical component330 contained at least partially within the chassis 340. In one aspectof this embodiment, the cable 315 is a ribbon cable, the connector 310is a 68-pin IDE center ribbon cable connector, the electrical component330 is a 3½-inch drive device, and the receptacle 311 is a 68-pin SCSIconnector receptacle. In another embodiment, the electrical component330 can be a 5¼-inch drive device. And in yet other embodiments, thecable 315 can be other cables having other connectors 310, and theelectrical component 330 can be other electrical components having otherconnector receptacles 311.

[0023] As best seen in FIG. 3, the retainer 350 has a mounting portion352 attached to a housing 335 of the electrical component 330, aconnector interface 354 adjacent to the connector 310, and aninterconnecting-section 355 between the mounting portion 352 and theconnector interface 354. The interconnecting-section 355 can carry theconnector interface 354. The interconnecting-section 355 of thisembodiment is substantially perpendicular to the mounting portion 352and the connector interface 354. In an alternate embodiment, as shown byphantom lines 357, the interconnecting-section 355 can be shaped andsized to form a curved section that carries the connector interface 354so that it is adjacent to the connector 310 when the mounting portion352 is connected to the housing 335 of the electrical component 330. Inone aspect of this embodiment, the retainer 350 is made from 20-gaugegalvanized steel. In other embodiments, other materials of suitablestrength and stiffness may be used.

[0024] The mounting portion 352 of the retainer 350 can be securelyattached to the housing 335 of the electrical component 330 with asuitable fastener 356. The fastener 356 passes through a fasteneraperture 353 in the mounting portion 352 and is secured in a hole 336 inthe housing 335. In one aspect of this embodiment, the hole 336 in thehousing 335 has a 6-32 UN internal thread and the fastener 356 has a6-32 UN external thread. In an alternate embodiment, the hole 336 can beconfigured to accommodate a different type of fastener 356, or thehousing 335 can include other holes on other surfaces. For example, theretainer 350 can attach to a threaded fastener hole 339 in a sidesurface 338 of the housing 335. In one aspect of this alternateembodiment, the mounting portion 352 can be omitted and the fastener 356can be installed through the midsection 355 to attach the retainer 350to the housing 335.

[0025] In another aspect of the embodiment shown in FIG. 3, the fasteneraperture 353 in the mounting portion 352 is an oval shaped slot thatallows positional adjustment of the connector interface 354 relative tothe connector 310 before the fastener 356 is fully secured in the hole336. In other embodiments, the fastener aperture 353 can be a roundhole, an open-ended slot, or a plurality of holes and/or slots thatallows fine positioning of the connector interface 354.

[0026] The connector interface 354 of the retainer 350 prevents theconnector 310 from disengaging from the receptacle 311 in the electricalcomponent 330. In one aspect of this embodiment, the connector interface354 directly contacts an outwardly facing surface 312 of the connector310. In other embodiments, the connector interface 354 can be spacedapart from the surface 312 by a distance of 0.01-0.20 inch, and morepreferably, by a distance of 0.065-0.125 inch. In general, the connectorinterface 354 should be spaced apart from the connector 310 by adistance that is less than the length of the pins of the connector 310.The connector interface 354 can also be spaced apart from the surface312 by other distances so long as the retainer 350 prevents theconnector 310 from disengaging from the receptacle 311.

[0027] One advantage of the retainer 350 is that it preventsdisengagement of the connector 310 without modifying the electricalcomponent 330, the connector 310, or the receptacle 311. For example, ifthe electrical component 330 is a conventional 3 ½-inch drive devicewith a standard 68 pin SCSI interface connector receptacle 311, thisreceptacle will typically not include any positive retention devicessuch as thumbscrews or wire-clip latches. The conventional 3½-inch drivedevice 330, however, will typically include at least one fastener hole336 in the housing 335 which is threaded to accommodate a 6-32 UNthreaded fastener. The availability of the existing 6-32 UN threadedfastener hole 336 allows retention of the connector 310 with theretainer 350 by positioning the connector interface 354 adjacent to theconnector 310 and attaching the mounting portion 352 to the housing 335as described above.

[0028] A further advantage of the retainer 350 is the ease with whichthe basic configuration can be adapted to accommodate various retentionapplications. The mounting portion 352, interconnecting-section 355, andconnector interface 354 can be configured to take advantage of anexisting fastener hole in the proximity of a connector to be retained.The retainer 350 can accordingly be configured for use in a wide rangeof retention applications. In addition, the low profile of the retainer350 also helps to minimize potential interference between the retainer350 and adjacent hardware components contained within the chassis 340 ofthe computer system 300.

[0029]FIG. 4 is a partial schematic isometric view of a computer system400 having a retainer 450 to prevent disengagement of the connector 310from the receptacle 311 in accordance with another embodiment of theinvention. The retainer 450 has a mounting portion 452 that attaches tothe housing 335 of the electrical component 330, and a connectorinterface 454 that is positioned adjacent to the connector 310. Themounting portion 452 and the connector interface 454 have substantiallyflat surfaces that form an “L-shape.” In an alternate embodiment, asshown by phantom lines 490, the retainer 450 can have a curved sectionbetween the mounting portion 452 and the connector interface 454.

[0030] The mounting portion 452 has a first fastener aperture 453 and asecond fastener aperture 455. Either fastener aperture 453 or 455 can beoptionally selected to attach the mounting portion 452 to the housing335 depending on which one most favorably aligns with the hole 336. Inone aspect of this embodiment, both of the fastener apertures 453 and455 are in the shape of elongated cutouts to provide for positionaladjustments of the connector interface 454 relative to the connector310. The first fastener aperture 453 is approximately twice as long asthe second fastener aperture 455. In alternate embodiments, the fastenerapertures 453 and 455 can be replaced with a plurality of round holes, asingle round hole, a single rectangular cutout, or any combination ofthe foregoing apertures.

[0031] As best seen in FIG. 4, the connector interface 454 of theretainer 450 is at an angle 451 relative to the mounting portion 452 sothat the connector interface 454 is adjacent to the connector 310 whenthe mounting portion 352 is attached to the component 330. In one aspectof this embodiment, the angle 451 is approximately 85 degrees so thatwhen the mounting portion 452 is attached to the housing 335 and theangle 451 becomes slightly greater than 85 degrees (e.g., approximately90 degrees), the connector interface 454 will contact the connector 310and apply a preload force to the connector 310 to prevent it fromdisengaging from the receptacle 311. In alternate embodiments, the angle451 can be approximately 90 degrees or other suitable angles.

[0032] One advantage of the computer system 400 having the retainer 450is that the retainer 450 can be used to prevent disengagement of theconnector 310 even when there is no access to the sides of theelectrical component 330. For example, an adjacent component 480 mayprevent the use of the retainer 350 shown in FIG. 3 because it maypreclude access to the side surface 338 of the electrical component 330.The retainer 450 can still be used in this case, however, because itonly requires access to a top surface 337 and a back surface 367 of theelectrical component 330.

[0033]FIG. 5 is an enlarged partial cross-sectional view taken from FIG.4 showing the connector interface 454, the connector 310, and thereceptacle 311. The connector interface 454 has a base portion 456, afirst side portion 457, and a second side portion 458. The side portions457 and 458 project away from the base portion 456 at an angle 459. Inone aspect of this embodiment, the angle 459 is 105 degrees. In otherembodiments, the angle 459 can have other values and can be differentfor each side portion, or the side portions 457 and/or 458 can beomitted entirely. In an alternate embodiment, the connector interface454 can be shaped and sized to form a continuous curved portion as shownby phantom line 491. In one aspect of this alternate embodiment, thecurved portion can form a circular section. In other aspects, the curvedportion can form other curved sections.

[0034] One expected advantage of the side portions 457 and 458 is thatthe retainer 450 should prevent the connector 310 from disengaging fromthe receptacle 311 even if the connector interface 454 is not alignedwith or contacting the connector 310. For example, the first and secondside portions 457 and 458 should capture the connector 310 and preventits disengagement from the receptacle 311 even if the base portion 456is positioned at an angle to, and offset from, an outwardly facingsurface 312 of the connector 310 as shown in FIG. 5.

[0035]FIG. 6 is a partial schematic isometric view of a computer system600 having a retainer 650 for preventing disengagement of the connector310 from the receptacle 311 in accordance with yet another embodiment ofthe invention. The retainer 650 functions in a substantially similarmanner as the retainer 450 shown in FIG. 4, except that a mountingportion 652 is attached to a chassis member 642 instead of the housing335 of the electrical component 330. The mounting portion 652 isattached to the chassis member 642 with a suitable fastener 656 thatpasses through a selected aperture 653 in the mounting portion 652 andinstalls in a hole 646 in the chassis member 642. In one aspect of thisembodiment, the hole 646 has a 6-32 UN internal thread and the fastener656 is a 6-32 UN threaded fastener. In other embodiments, the hole 646can have other internal threads or it can be a round hole, an elongateoval, or a rectangular slot without any threads. In these non-threadedembodiments, the fastener 656 can be retained in the chassis member 642with a suitable nut 657 positioned on the far side of the chassis member642 opposite the mounting portion 652.

[0036] A typical computer chassis 640 will often have a plurality ofvacant fastener holes and/or other apertures in the proximity ofelectrical components of the computer. One advantage of the retainer 650is that the number of possible attachment locations within the computersystem 600 is increased by the option of attaching the retainer 650 toeither the chassis member 642 or the housing 335 of the electricalcomponent 330. For example, if the housing 335 of the electricalcomponent 330 does not have any vacant fastener apertures, or if accessis not afforded to the housing 335, then the retainer 650 may beattached to the chassis 640. Increasing the number of attachment optionsincreases the likelihood that the connector 310 can be retained in anygiven assembly situation, and that installation of the retainer 650 willnot interfere with adjacent components or structure within the chassis640. In view of the alternate embodiments of the retainers 350, 450, and650 disclosed and discussed in accordance with FIGS. 3-6, it will beapparent to one of ordinary skill in the art that numerous otherone-piece retainer configurations are possible without departing fromthe spirit and scope of the invention.

[0037]FIG. 7 is a partial schematic isometric view of a computer system700 having a two-piece retainer 750 for preventing disengagement of aconnector 710 from a receptacle 711 in accordance with anotherembodiment of the invention. The retainer 750 has a bracket 751 and apositionable retainer portion 754. Engagement of the connector 710 tothe receptacle 711 provides electrical continuity between a cable 715and an electrical component 730 contained at least partially within achassis 740. In one aspect of this embodiment, the cable 715 is a ribboncable, the connector 710 is a 68-pin IDE center ribbon cable connector,the electrical component 730 is a 3½-inch drive device, and thereceptacle 711 is a 68-pin SCSI connector receptacle. In anotherembodiment, the electrical component 730 can be a 5¼-inch drive device.And in yet other embodiments, the cable 715 can be other cables havingother connectors 710, and the electrical component 730 can be otherelectrical components having other connector receptacles 711.

[0038] The electrical component 730 has a housing 735 having a firstside section 732 with at least one threaded fastener hole 736 and asecond side section 734 with at least one threaded fastener hole 737. Aconnector receptacle 713 can also be included on an aft section 733 ofthe electrical component 730 in addition to the connector receptacle711.

[0039] The bracket 751 of the retainer 750 has a first side member 752,a second side member 753, and a center member 755. The first and secondside members 752 and 753 can extend away from the center member 755 inapproximately the same direction and at approximately right angles tothe center member 755. Each side member 752 and 753 has at least onekeyhole 771 and 772, respectively, for accommodating the retainerportion 754. Each keyhole 771 and 772 has a keyslot portion 773 and 774,respectively. Each side member 752 and 753 also has at least onefastener aperture 757 and 758, respectively. In one aspect of thisembodiment, the fastener apertures 757 and 758 can be elongated ovalslots that permit positional adjustment of the bracket 751 in relationto the housing 735. In other embodiments, the fastener apertures 757 and758 can be round holes, a plurality of round holes, or a plurality ofround holes and/or oval or rectangular slots.

[0040] The bracket 751 is attached to the housing 735 by inserting afastener 756 through each of the fastener apertures 757 and 758. In analternate embodiment, one of the fastener apertures 757 or 758 can beomitted and the bracket portion 751 can be attached to the housing 735by using a single fastener 756 installed through either one of thefastener apertures 757 or 758.

[0041] The retainer portion 754 of the retainer 750 has a substantiallyflat body 760 with a first tab 761 extending away from the body 760 in afirst direction and a second tab 762 coaxially aligned with the firsttab 761 and extending away from the body 760 in a second directionopposite to the first direction. The first tab 761 is inserted into thekeyhole 771 in the first side member 752 of the bracket 751, and thesecond tab 762 is inserted into the keyhole 772 in the second sidemember 753. The retainer portion 754 also has a first cutout 763configured to receive the cable 715 when the retainer portion 754 isadjacent to the connector 710. The retainer portion 754 can optionallyhave another cutout 764 configured to receive the connector receptacle713. In an alternate embodiment, the retainer portion can have othercutouts of different sizes to accommodate different connectors, or thecutouts may be eliminated altogether.

[0042]FIG. 8 is a side view of the retainer 750 showing the operation ofthe retainer 750 to prevent disengagement of a connector 710 from areceptacle 711. The bracket 751 is first installed on the housing 735,as explained above in accordance with FIG. 7, except that the fasteners756 are not fully tightened so that the bracket 751 can be movedrelative to the housing 735 (arrows 830 and 840). From position P₁, theretainer portion 754 is translated in a first direction 810 (i.e.,upward) to position P₂ to disengage the tabs 761 and 762 from the keyslot portions 773 and 774, respectively. The retainer portion 754 isthen rotated outwardly to position P₃, and the cable 715 is passedthrough a gap 805 formed between the bracket portion 751 and theretainer portion 754. The connector 710 is engaged with the receptacle711 and the retainer portion 754 is rotated downwardly to position P₂and translated in a second direction 820 (i.e., downward) to engage thetabs 761 and 762 with the key slot portions 773 and 774, respectively.Movement of the retainer portion 754 is thus restricted relative to thebracket 751. The bracket portion 751 is then moved in direction 830 toposition the retainer portion 754 sufficiently adjacent to the connector710 to prevent its disengagement, and the fasteners 756 are fillytightened to fixedly attach the retainer 750 to the housing 735 of theelectrical component 730.

[0043] One advantage of the two-piece retainer 750 is that the connector710 and cable 715 can be disconnected from the electrical component 730without requiring that the retainer 750 be removed from the housing 735.Access to the connector 710 is afforded by moving the retainer portion754 in direction 810 to disengage the tabs 761 and 762 for the key slotportions 773 and 774, respectively, and then rotating the retainerportion 754 to position P₃. Quick disconnection of the connector 710 canfacilitate and expedite removal and changeout of the electricalcomponent 730 if desired for upgrades or repair.

[0044] In an alternate embodiment of the retainer 750 shown in FIG. 7,the retainer 750 can be installed on the housing 735 after the connector710 has been engaged with the receptacle 711. In one aspect of thisembodiment, the retainer portion 754 is stationary with respect to thebracket portion 751. In another aspect of this embodiment, the retainer750 can be a one-piece bracket with side members 752 and 753 integrallyformed with the retainer portion 754, and the center member 755 can beoptionally omitted.

[0045] From the foregoing, it will be appreciated that even thoughspecific embodiments of the invention have been described herein forpurposes of illustration, various modifications can be made to theapparatuses and methods described for connector retention withoutdeviating from the spirit or scope of the invention. Accordingly, theinvention is not limited except as by the appended claims.

I claim:
 1. A computer system, comprising: a chassis; a processoroperatively coupled to a memory device, the processor and memory devicebeing contained within the chassis; a drive device having a housing anda receptacle for an electrical connector, wherein at least a portion ofthe housing is contained within the chassis; a cable with an electricalconnector, the connector being releasably engaged with the receptacle onthe drive device; and a retainer having a first end and a second end,the retainer having a mounting portion toward the first end attached toat least one of the drive device housing or the chassis, and theretainer having an electrical connector interface toward the second endat least approximately adjacent to the electrical connector, wherein theconnector interface prevents the connector from disengaging from thereceptacle on the drive device.
 2. The computer system of claim 1wherein the electrical connector interface contacts the electricalconnector to press the connector into the receptacle on the drivedevice.
 3. The computer system of claim 1 wherein the connectorinterface is offset a distance of approximately 0.01-0.20 inch from theelectrical connector to prevent the connector from disengaging from thedrive device.
 4. The computer system of claim 1 wherein the drive deviceis a 3½-inch drive device having at least one threaded fastener hole inthe housing and a 68 pin SCSI interface connector as the receptacle,wherein the cable is an ultra-wide SCSI ribbon cable with a 68 pincenter ribbon cable connector as the electrical connector, and whereinthe retainer mounting portion attaches to the drive device housing witha fastener that threads into the threaded fastener hole in the drivedevice housing.
 5. The computer system of claim 1 wherein the drivedevice housing contains at least one threaded fastener hole in theportion of the housing contained within the chassis, wherein themounting portion of the retainer has at least one substantially flatmounting surface containing a fastener aperture, and wherein themounting portion attaches to the drive device housing with a threadedfastener that installs into the threaded fastener hole in the housing.6. The computer system of claim 1 wherein the retainer mounting portionattaches only to the chassis.
 7. The computer system of claim 1 whereinthe retainer further comprises a mid-section between the mountingportion and the electrical connector interface, and wherein themid-section is substantially perpendicular to the mounting portion andthe electrical connector interface.
 8. The computer system of claim 1wherein the arrangement of the mounting portion toward the first end ofthe retainer and the connector interface toward the second end of theretainer together form an “L-shape” retainer.
 9. The computer system ofclaim 1 wherein the retainer is a two-piece retainer, the mountingportion toward the first end comprising a bracket first piece and theelectrical connector interface toward the second end comprising amovable retainer portion second piece, the movable retainer portionsecond piece being operatively coupled to the bracket first piece.
 10. Acomputer system, comprising: a chassis; a processor operatively coupledto a memory device, the processor and memory device being containedwithin the chassis; an electrical component having a receptacle for anelectrical connector, wherein at least a portion of the electricalcomponent is contained within the chassis; a cable with an electricalconnector, the connector being releasably engaged with the receptacle onthe electrical component; and a retainer having a first end and a secondend, the retainer having a mounting portion toward the first endattached to at least one of the electrical component or the chassis, andthe retainer having an electrical connector interface toward the secondend at least approximately adjacent to the electrical connector, whereinthe connector interface prevents the connector from disengaging from thereceptacle on the electrical component.
 11. The computer system of claim10 wherein the connector interface contacts the electrical connector topress the connector into the receptacle on the electrical component. 12.The computer system of claim 10 wherein the connector interface isoffset a distance of approximately 0.01-0.20 inch from the electricalconnector to prevent the connector from disengaging from the electricalcomponent.
 13. The computer system of claim 10 wherein the electricalcomponent is a 3½-inch drive device having a housing with at least onethreaded fastener hole and a 68 pin SCSI interface connector as thereceptacle, wherein the cable is an ultra-wide SCSI ribbon cable with a68 pin center ribbon cable connector as the connector releasably engagedwith the receptacle on the electrical component, and wherein theretainer mounting portion attaches to the drive device housing with afastener that threads into the threaded fastener hole in the drivedevice housing.
 14. The computer system of claim 10 wherein theelectrical component further comprises a housing having at least onethreaded fastener hole, wherein the retainer mounting portion attachesto the housing with a fastener that threads into the threaded fastenerhole in the housing.
 15. The computer system of claim 10 wherein theretainer mounting portion attaches only to the chassis of the computersystem.
 16. The computer system of claim 10 wherein the retainer furthercomprises a mid-section between the mounting portion and the electricalconnector interface, and wherein the mid-section is substantiallyperpendicular to the mounting portion and the electrical connectorinterface.
 17. The computer system of claim 10 wherein the arrangementof the mounting portion toward the first end of the retainer and theconnector interface toward the second end of the retainer form an “L”shape retainer.
 18. The computer system of claim 10 wherein the retaineris a two-piece retainer, the mounting portion toward the first endcomprising a bracket first piece and the electrical connector interfacetoward the second end comprising a positionable retainer portion secondpiece, the positionable retainer portion second piece being operativelycoupled to the bracket first piece.
 19. A method for retaining anelectrical connector in a receptacle on a drive device in a computer,comprising: installing the electrical connector into the receptacle onthe drive device; and securing a mounting portion of a retaining deviceto at least one of a housing of the drive device or a chassis of thecomputer to position a connector interface portion of the retainingdevice at least approximately adjacent to an outwardly facing surface ofthe connector to prevent the connector from disengaging from thereceptacle.
 20. The method of claim 19 wherein securing a mountingportion of a retaining device comprises securing the mounting portion tothe housing of the drive device by inserting a threaded fastener througha fastener aperture in the mounting portion and threading the fastenerinto a threaded hole in the housing of the drive device.
 21. The methodof claim 19 wherein securing a mounting portion of a retaining devicecomprises securing the mounting portion to the chassis of the computerand not to the drive device.
 22. The method of claim 19 wherein thedrive device is a 5¼′ drive device.
 23. The method of claim 19 whereinthe mounting portion of the retaining device is secured to at least oneof the housing of the drive device or the chassis of the computer sothat the connector interface portion of the retaining device is pressingagainst the outwardly facing surface of the connector to bias theconnector toward the receptacle.
 24. A method for retaining anelectrical connector in a receptacle on an electrical component in acomputer, comprising: securing a bracket of a retaining device to theelectrical component; installing the electrical connector into thereceptacle on the electrical component; and positioning a retainerportion of the retaining device at least approximately adjacent to anoutwardly facing surface of the connector to prevent the connector fromdisengaging from the electrical component, the retainer portion beingoperatively coupled to the bracket.
 25. The method of claim 24 whereinthe electrical component is a drive device, and securing the bracket tothe drive device comprises securing the bracket to a housing of thedrive device.
 26. The method of claim 24 wherein positioning theretainer portion comprises rotating a substantially planar member to adistance of 0.00-0.10 inch from the outwardly facing surface of theconnector.
 27. A method for retaining an electrical connector in areceptacle on an electrical component in a computer, comprising:installing the electrical connector into the receptacle on theelectrical component; and securing a mounting portion of a retainingdevice to at least one of the electrical component or a chassis of thecomputer to position a connector interface portion of the retainingdevice at least approximately adjacent to an outwardly facing surface ofthe connector to prevent the connector from disengaging from thereceptacle.
 28. The method of claim 27 wherein the electrical componentis a drive device and securing the mounting portion of the retainingdevice comprises securing the mounting portion to a housing of the drivedevice.
 29. The method of claim 27 wherein the mounting portion of theretaining device is secured to at least one of the electrical componentor the chassis of the computer so that the connector interface portionof the retaining device is pressing against the outwardly facing surfaceof the connector to bias the connector toward the receptacle.
 30. Amethod for retaining an electrical connector in a receptacle on a drivedevice in the assembly of a computer, comprising: installing the drivedevice in a computer chassis; installing the electrical connector intothe receptacle on the drive device; and securing a mounting portion of aretaining device to at least one of a housing of the drive device or achassis of the computer to position a connector interface of theretaining device at least approximately adjacent to an outwardly facingsurface of the connector to prevent the connector from disengaging fromthe receptacle.
 31. The method of claim 30 wherein the mounting portionof the retaining device is a bracket and the connector interface of theretaining device is a movable retainer portion operatively coupled tothe bracket, and wherein the method further comprises feeding a ribboncable attached to the electrical connector through a gap between thebracket and the retainer portion of the retaining device beforeinstalling the electrical connector into the receptacle on the drivedevice.
 32. The method of claim 30 wherein the mounting portion of theretaining device is secured to at least one of the housing of the drivedevice or the chassis of the computer so that the connector interfaceportion of the retaining device is pressing against the outwardly facingsurface of the connector to bias the connector toward the receptacle.33. A method for assembling a computer, comprising: installing aprocessor and a memory device within a chassis of the computer;installing a drive device so that at least a portion of the drive deviceis contained within the chassis; installing an electrical connector intoa receptacle on the drive device; and securing a mounting portion of aretaining device to at least one of a housing of the drive device or achassis of the computer to position a connector interface portion of theretaining device at least approximately adjacent to an outwardly facingsurface of the connector to prevent the connector from disengaging fromthe receptacle.
 34. A device for retaining an electrical connectorinstalled in a receptacle on a drive device in a computer, comprising: abody having a first end and a second end, the body having a mountingportion toward the first end and a connector interface toward the secondend, the mounting portion having a substantially flat mounting surfacewith at least one fastener aperture and configured to attach to thedrive device, the connector interface having a substantially rigid andsubstantially flat base portion configured to be at least approximatelyadjacent to the electrical connector in the drive device when themounting portion is attached to the drive device.
 35. The device ofclaim 34 wherein the connector interface further comprises two sideportions, wherein each side portion connects at one end to a respectiveside of the base portion, and wherein the side portions are disposed atan angle to the base portion so that the base portion and the two sideportions form a concave cross section.
 36. The device of claim 34wherein the connector interface projects away from the mounting portionat an angle of at least approximately 85 degrees to the mountingportion.
 37. The device of claim 34 wherein the body further comprises amid-section between the first and second ends, and wherein themid-section is substantially perpendicular to the mounting portion andthe connector interface.
 38. The device of claim 34 wherein the fasteneraperture in the mounting portion comprises an elongated rectangularcutout.
 39. A device for retaining an electrical connector installed ina receptacle on a drive device, the drive device having a housing with afirst side section and a second side section, the retaining devicecomprising: a bracket having a first side member, a second side member,and a center member extending between the first side member and thesecond side member, wherein the first side member is configured toattach to the first side section of the drive device housing and thesecond side member is configured to attach to the second side section ofthe drive device housing; and a movable retainer portion operativelycoupled to the first and second side members, the retainer portion beingpositionable at least approximately adjacent to the connector in thedrive device when the first and second side members are attached to thedrive device housing.
 40. The device of claim 39 wherein the bracketfurther comprises a first side member having a first keyhole and asecond side member having a second keyhole, wherein the retainer portionfurther comprises a first tab extending away from the retainer portionin a first direction and a second tab extending away from the retainerportion in a second direction, and wherein the first tab is insertedinto the first keyhole in the first side member and the second tab isinserted into the second keyhole in the second side member tooperatively couple the retainer portion to the side members.